Chicks With Guitars

Chrissie Hynde, Sheryl Crow, and Joan Baez. None are new but all deserve credit for their body of work. Also, Joni
Mitchell, but I think she was already mentioned.

"08-05-11: Jax2
Richard's got his finger on the pulse of my hard drive for sure."

Ok, this makes me feel a little creepy Marco. I already had to explain to Stacy...."I met this guy online....". I think I need to go build something with power tools and watch football.

Great list developing. I'll be sampling music for hours this weekend.

Marco,

Dar is a flat-out great lyricist. "Christians and Pagans" manages to address a big issue (tolerance) while remaining true to finely drawn character observations (family at Christmas). Probably as good an example of this style of songwriting as I've ever encountered.

Marty

Bonnie Raitt!

A bunch of these chicks started out with just guitars and ended up, sadly to my ears, accompanied by larger ensembles and plugged into over-attenuated amplifiers.

Tracy Chapman
Joni (of course)
Lucinda Williams

Sara Jarosz (ok, she's a chick with a mandolin)
Michelle Shocked

Marty - right on! Dar is certainly a great songwriter. I did not get specific about shared tastes with Richard, so let me clear that up before he's out building an outbuilding with his power tools. There are quite a few that have been mentioned here that I'd recommend to you as amazing writers as well (and I'm a big fan of great lyrics). I am blown away that women of this age can be writing with such depth, intelligence and passion. Here are those I'd loudly echo in that light:

Sara Jaffe (check out Suburban Nature)
Laura Veirs (Triumphs and Travails of Orphan Mae)
Martha Tilston (Love her voice too - any of her stuff - reminds me of a young Joni Mitchell)
Emily Barker (I much prefer her first album, Despite the Snow)

Not quite as young, but writing with the depth of true experience in the darker aspects of our nature, and also a great songwriter, a big, bold second for Mary Gauthier.